Red Ale
Clairvoyant Brewing Company

Draft at brewery. Dark amber pour, small bubbly off-white head. Malt dominates the aroma and taste, mild sweetness. Dry, tobacco, leathery, tannic flavors.

this was listed at 5.8% abv when i was in, but has likely changed some from batch to batch. its a fine red ale, the best i think of the three beers i have had from these guys so far, hoppier than most of these in circulation right now, and it gives the beer a second wind right before it becomes another boring amber, a nice touch. its short of red ipa status, but there is more than enough hop bitterness to balance the malt sweetness, which is moderate throughout. the hops are more than just alpha acid though, and pack a nice piney northwestern woodsy complexion that tastes really fresh to me and makes this not just another samey red beer. toasted malt depth, but not too much body or anything, this is still a pint beer, a several pints beer really. dryer towards the finish, nice carbonation, subtle toffee with the piney hops is nice, a flash of orange too, and a not entirely flavorless ale yeast strain bringing it together. a well made beer, balanced and flavorful and well ahead of what usually transpires when i order an unnamed red ale from a brewery i have never heard of before...